Dust-guard.



' S. H. HEFT.

DUST GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.19| 1917.

1,232,305. Patented July 3, 1917.

IN V EN TOR.

li-ie nlutg $41 fl /7 W EY PATENT onnre all up SETH H. HEFT, 0]? DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE PRESSED STEEL EQUIPMEN COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

usr eunnn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 19, 1917. Serial No. 149,479.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SETH H. Hnr'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Dust-Guards, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to dust guards and more particularly to dust guards of the type designed for use in connection with railway car axle journal boxes In the present state of the art, the dust guard commonly used with the standard construction of railway journal boxes, is a wooden plate apertured for the insertion of the axle, said wooden plate being positioned within the usual dust guard housing forming a part of the journal box. To permit of the insertion of the axle into the. journal box, it is necessary to provide a clearance in the guard. The guard, when placed in service, does not therefore form a close fit. Furthermore. as the bearing wears, the box will be lowered in relation to the axle which will enlarge the clearance at the bottom of the guard. Thus at no time is a guard of such construction, strictly speaking, a dust guard, since'the clearance is sufficient for the entrance of dust and grit, which materially shortens the life of the journal bear-. ing. Much difliculty has also been ex eri'enced by reason of the fact that the woodbn plates oftentimes become cracked or broken when in use, thereby rendering them useless in the performance of their functions. Notwithstanding these disadvantages, however, it has been found highly desirable to use wood in the construction of dust guards of this type.

lt is therefore the primary object of the present invention to overcome these various disadvantages and to provide a dust guard of the type described, wherein the wooden member is adapted to be clamped closely about the axle at all times, thereby reventing the admission of dust and grit into I the journal box.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of suitable means adapted to cooperate with the wooden member, whereby the durability of the same is increased, and whereby a snug fit between said wooden member and the car axle is maintained, regardless of cracks or breaks therein.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a dust guard which shall be self-adjusting and which shallbe pro- Vided with means adapted to compensate for any wear which may be occasioned by the frictional contact of the wooden member With the axle.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated:

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is avertical longitudinal sectional view taken through a journal box of standard construction, showing the dust guard applied to the car axle.

Fig. 2 is a Vertical transverse sectional View thereof.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of .the dust guard.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation; .and

Fig. 5 is a front View of a modified form of the wooden member.

In the drawings, a journal box of standard construction is illustrated at A, the dust guard housing being shown at B and being provided with the usual closure C. D designates a portion of the car axle shown in position in the journal box.

The dust guard is shown mounted within the housing B and in operative position on the car axle, said guard being provided with aring 10, preferably constructed of wood, which is adapted to closely fit about the circumference of said axle. This wooden ring 10 is shown split at 11 along a line substantially. tangent to the circumference of the axle, it being obvious however that any other desirable form of joint may be employed. The abutting ends of the. split wooden ring 10 are retained in proper alinement by means of a suitable clip 12, which may be fastened in any preferred manner to one of said abutting ends, said clip being adapted to slidably engage the other of said ends to aid in the self-adjustment of, said ring about the axle, as hereinafter pointed out.

Encircling the wooden ring 10 is a resilient Ushaped band 13, which is preferably channeled as at it to receive the outer surface of the ring 10, said resilient band 13 being provided with arms 15 which are shown projecting slightly above the upper edge of the ring at 16. The upper edge the same in close engagement with the axle of said ring 10 is cut away adjacent to the at all times. From this, it will be noted that projecting ends 16, as shown at 17, to perall dust and grit is prevented from working mit of said ends being easily accessible for in between the axle and the wooden ring 10, the purpose hereinafter pointed out. These and that a dust guard has been provided projecting ends 16 provide suitable grips which is self-adjusting and which is adapt- Whereby said Channeled band 13 may be exed to compensate for any wearing occasioned panded or sprung out of its normal position by the frictional contact between the inner to permit of theinsertion of the wooden ring surface of the wooden r1ng 10 and the car 10 between the arms 15 and into the chanaxle. 5 nel 14 of said band 13, said projecting ends If, under some conditions, it proves difii- 16 also serving as means whereby the abutcult to spring the wooden ring 10 sufficiently ting ends of the ring 10 may be separated, to position said ring about the axle without thereby increasing the diameter of said ring breaking the same or otherwise injuring it,

to permit of the axle being passed theresaid ring may be cut radially at intervals as through. shown in Fig. 5, to permit the abutting ends The wooden ring 10 is adapted to seat well of said ring being separated an appreciable down into the channel of the band'13 sub.- amount, when the same is being placed in stantially as shown This not only provides position on the axle. The ring may be cut the necessary resilient stren h which repart-way through as shown, or all the way tains the split ring 10 closely tted about the through, if desired. axle, but also provides a reinforcement for It is obvious that various changes and said ring, which protects the periphery theremodifications may be made in the construcof and also a substantial portion of the option illustrated herein, without departing posite faces thereof. Thus the durabilityof from. the spirit of the invention, and the the wooden ring is greatly increased, and right is therefore reserved to make such said ring. is protected against cracking and changes and modifications as fairly fall breaking due to rough usage. It will be within the scope of the appended claims. noted however, that even though the Wooden Havingthus described my invention, what ring should become cracked or broken, the I claim as new and desire to secure by Letchanneled band 13, constructed and applied ters Patent 0f the United States is: to said ring as above set forth, will retain the 1- A dust guard of the type described, same in operative position. comprising a split wooden ring adapted to In applying the dust guard to an axle closely fit an axle, and a channeled resilient after it has been assembled, as shown in 'Fig. band adapted to embrace said ring to rein- 2, and in the manner above point-ed out, said force the same. I

dust guard is placed within the housing B 2. A dust guard of the type described,

of the journal box A, the projecting ends16 comprising a split wooden ring adapted to of the resilient band 13 being then gripped closely fit an axle, and a channeled resilient and sprung apart, which action'also sepaband adapted to embrace said ring to rein- 95 rates the abutting ends of the wooden ring force the same, said band affordingmeans 10, by virtue of its being held within the whereby the abutting ends of said wooden channeled portion of said band. 1 This perring may be separated to permit of the inmits of the insertion of the car axle through sertion of an axle therethrough.

the dust guard, after which the ends 16are' 3. A dust guard for-journal boxes, comreleased and the tension of the resilient band prising a split wooden ring, a resilient metal 13 forces the abutt'ng ends of the ring to-. band adapted. to fit said ring and to press gether, thus closely fitting said ring about the inner surface thereof into close contact the axle. It will be noted that the close fit with an axle,'said ring being provided with between the dust guard and the axle will fian'ges adapted to embrace the sides thereof have a tendency to causesaid guard to turn to reinforce said ring and to prevent the with said axle. This rotation of the dust same being rendered inoperative by cracks guard with the axle is prevented however by or breaks.

the arms 15 coming intocontact with the 4. A dust guard for journal boxes, comwall of the dust guard housing, thereby prising a split wooden ring, a channeled 13 holding said dust guard stationary with reresilient metal band adapted to embrace said l ation thereto. As the axle thus revolves ring to reinforce the same, and to press the within the ring 10, a gradual wearing awaiy inner surface thereof into close contact with of the inner surface thereof is'caused. t an axle, the ends of said band projecting will be noted however, that this gradual above the upper edge of said ring to afford wearing away is compensated forby. the remeans for expanding the same when the silient band 13, the tension exerted thereby guard is positioned on an axle.

' causing the abutting ends of said ring 10 to 5. A dust guard for journal boxes, comslide one over the other, thus contracting prising a split wooden rlng, a channeled said ring as it is worn, and tending to retain band adapted to embrace the same and to 3 retain it in close contact with an .axle, the ends of said band being projected above one edge of said ring to provide means whereby said band may be expanded.

6. A dust guard of the type described, comprising a split wooden ring and a U- shaped channeled resilient band adapted to embrace said ring to reinforce the same and to hold the same closely fitted about an axle.

7. A dust guard for journal boxes, com prising a split wooden ring, a channeled U- shaped band adapted to embrace said ring to reinforce the same, said ring being held between a plurality of converging arms forming a part of said U- shaped band, said arms affording means the upper portion of' whereby said band may be sprung to permit of said guard being positioned on an axle;

8. A dust guard for journal boxes, comprising a split wooden ring, a channeled U- shaped band adapted to embrace'said ring to reinforce the same, the upperqportion of said ring being held between a plurality of converging armsforming a part of'said U- shaped band, anda clip positioned intermediate said arms and adapted to cooperate with theadjacent ends of said ringto retain the same in proper alinement.

In witness whereof, I, hereunto subscribe my name this 2nd day of Feby. A. D, 1917.

sn'rn H. HEFT. 

